A blush formed once more at his bold statement about enjoying what he saw. This reaction she was having to his comment, the chills going down her spine, the way her stomach felt like it was fluttering, was not something she could put a name to. Even when she was human, she could not remember feeling this type of reaction. “I am glad you like.” She said shyly, her eyes only meeting his for a brief moment. Soon she was changing the subject, back to a safe topic of talking about their species and fighting.

It was normal for supernatural creatures to hold onto the costumes they were taught as human, even if the world around them constantly changed. “I was always taught not to fight. However, I had to learn to break that mentality. If I tried to live by what I was taught, I would not have survived. When I was born, women were to be ladies. We were to be ruled by our husbands, keep our mouths shut, rise the children, take what we were given, and behave. If I tried that in the pack as an alpha, I would be killed.” She laughed and looked down at the ground. “That is probably why the men in my pack used to think I would not survive. Women were never seen as strong.” She shrugged and raised her head again.

Over the years, Avina had developed a view of herself that was defined as being an alpha rather than being a woman. “Just because you are second does not mean you are weak.” she told him in all seriousness. “You have to learn that it is not a position or others that define our strength. Our own beliefs in ourselves is what makes us stronger or weaker.” She put her hand on her heart. “It is right here that defines our strength; once you believe you are stronger than what others think, then you will become stronger.” she dropped her hand and smiled.

Avina sat back on her feet to look at his face as he talked about his wife. She still knelt in front of him, her hand on his shoulder and her face was within inches of his still as he talked about his wife. The gesture of the tattoo was sweet, almost sickening sweet. It reminded her of something she would have done as a human, if she had ever been able to make it to marriage. After his story, her eyes roamed back to where her hand rested on his shoulder. “You should not let it be a faded memory.” her tone was a soft whisper, and her softened eyes traveled back to his. “You should let it empower you. Let it serve as a reminder of how strong you truly are. Only someone who has a strong will can go against their creator as a changeling. This tattoo should be a daily reminder that you are stronger than you think.” She smiled a soft, almost sad smile.

“I bet your current Elder is not strong enough to hold you either.” She knew she was going out on a limb but she saw in him a spirit that looked just like she did years ago. She had believed herself to be a second in command, a weak worthless monster. It was that thought of defeat that had allowed her pack members to control her for so long. “I bet you have the strength to not be held down by anyone, Elder or not.” She would not let him doubt himself, even if she had to believe in him for him for a while. About that time he yanked her hand away from his chest. Her eyes flickered to her hand that was covered in almost dry blood then back to his that were starting to turn darker. It never occurred to her that her blood would have bothered him so much. 

Gently, she pulled her hand away from his grip and pulled it to her chest, making sure not to smear it on his shirt. “I’m sorry. I did not know it was bothering you…” A crazy idea came to her mind. “Don’t kill me, but you can have some of my blood. It probably will not taste good to you, and it won’t be a full meal, but it might be able to help keep you from going crazy.” As a werewolf, she understood hunger. Maybe not for blood, but for raw meat. Werewolves were always hungry and craving for meat, and if they go too long without it they can get aggressive which often turns to violence. Avina did not feel like battling a hungry vampire. “Here.” She held at her hand, wrist up, and still covered in blood. Every muscle in her body was tense, waiting for him to grab her wrist, sink in his teeth, and for the pain to take over. It was all she could do not to squeeze her eyes shut.